His to Control
by mysticrox123
Summary: Beware, dear reader, for this is no love story. Prepare your mind for the twisted tale of a centuries old Goblin King and his obsession: a fifteen year old girl. There can only been one winner, as Sarah fights for her baby brother, the young man she has come to cherish, and, most importantly, her mind, body and soul. Rated M for a reason-tragedy, lust and destruction from the onset
1. Jareth: Wanting

He wanted her. All of her.

Ever since the day she had wished her baby brother away, he had thought of her constantly.

He thought about her gorgeous long hair.

Her cupid's bow lips.

And her slender figure, with just the right amount of curves.

He imagined himself touching her.

Caressing her.

Taking her.

Whenever he wanted.

Because she was his.

His alone to control and manipulate.

To have whenever he wanted.

He smiled at the thought of her cries as he entered her, no longer a pure, innocent child.

The arching of her back as she pressed her chest closer to his

He would break her.

Granted, it might take a while.

His Sarah was stubborn.

She, like most of the human women of her generation, had her own mind, so to speak.

It wouldn't be easy teaching her to obey him.

But Jareth was going to enjoy it.

He was going to enjoy the methods of punishment he inflicted upon her along the way.

Because if his Sarah ever refused him, he would make sure to let her know that she was his.

His to control.

And she was going to act in the way that he saw fit

He was going to enjoy watching her transform from a spoilt little chit into an obedient, loyal wife.

A graceful, dignified and delicate woman who answered solely to him.

She would be the perfect Queen.

Respecting his judgement, asking his opinion, valuing his word like it was the law.

Just the thought of it made him hard.

But now he had to think of a plan, devise a way in which he could have his Sarah.

Because Jareth would have her eventually.

Whatever the cost, he would take what was rightfully his.

And it would be a glorious moment as she bowed before him, loving him and fearing him in the way that was so expected of her.

As he took, in more ways than one, the girl whose mind, body and soul he now owned.

* * *

My first M fic, and my first Labyrinth fic.

Reviews are much appreciated.

mysticrox123

xx


	2. Sarah: Nightmares

_Sarah..._

_Sarah..._

_Sarah..._

"Argh!" Sarah cried, jolting awake from her restless sleep. She was covered in sweat, her hair forming a sticky blanket around her face. Her heartbeat raced and she sucked in huge breaths of air in an attempt to calm herself.

"It was only a dream, only a dream." She whispered reverently to herself. Nonetheless, she reached over and flicked on her bedside light, illuminating her room in a bright orange glow. Frantically, her eyes darted about the place, seeking-searching for the man who had been haunting her nightmares.

Once she saw that there was nobody there, and realised that she had, in fact, only been dreaming, Sarah allowed herself a small smile.

"I really need to get a grip." She announced to the otherwise silent room.

Deciding that it was now safe enough to go back to sleep, Sarah made to turn off her lamp again. However, as soon as the light was off, she heard a light knocking at her door.

"Who's there?" she yelled, panic evident in her voice, as she flailed around to switch on the comforting light.

"Sarah, it's me. I saw that your light was on and thought that I should check on you."

Sarah sighed in relief upon seeing the tired figure of her father in the doorway.

"Oh Dad, it's just you." She sank back onto her bed, worried no more.

"Well, who did you think it would be?" her father asked, a quizzical expression etched upon his face.

"Nobody, nobody. Sorry, Dad, I've just woken up from a nightmare. I'm all over the place right now. Sarah muttered, eyes fluttering, as she tried to stay awake.

Upon the mention of nightmares, Mr Williams' eyes narrowed.

"Sarah, I thought you'd stopped having those bad dreams. Do we need to take you to see a counsellor-do you need some help?"

Sarah's tired eyes sharply fluttered open, anger gracing her delicate features.

"No! God, no, Dad! Honestly, I'm fine. School starts again in a week, I'm probably just stressing about that." She assured him, gently chewing on her lip, in nervous worry that he would press her for more information.

"Are you sure, sweetheart?" her father asked, his eyes softening once more when he gazed at his only daughter.

"Positive." She replied in earnest, slowly nodding her head.

"Okay then." Mr Williams sighed, spreading his arms wide open in defeat. "But please turn the light off now, Sarah, and try to get back to sleep.

"I will. Night Dad." Sarah called to her father's retreating form.

Then, as she flicked off the lamp, Sarah was plunged into darkness once more. As she nestled amongst her warm duvet, she began chanting to herself, the same chart that she had been chanting every night for the past six months.

Ever since she had become a Champion of the Labyrinth.

"You have no power over me."

"You have no power over me."

"You have no power over me."

Sarah's eyes began to close, and she felt the notions of sleep start to overcome her. It was working.

"You have no power over me."

"You have no power over me."

"You have no power over me."

She smiled to herself, now only just conscious. _Three more times should do it._

"You have no power over me."

"You have no power over me."

"You have no power over me."

And then, just as Sarah was about to close her mind to the world for another night's sleep, a voice like silk filled Sarah's senses with cold, terrifying dread.

"Now that, my darling Sarah, is where you couldn't be more wrong."

* * *

I do love a good cliff hanger ;)

Reviews mean quicker updates.

'Til next time

mysticrox123

xx


	3. Sarah: Tormented

Sarah screamed. A full-on, heart-wrenching scream, in the hope that someone, anyone, would hear her.

She waited, lying petrified in the dark, hoping that her father would come.

A laugh as cold as steel echoed off the walls of her bedroom.

Yet again, Sarah screamed.

Why hadn't her father come for her?

Surely he could hear her cries?

Tears poured freely down her face as the laugh grew louder.

More manic.

More hungry.

"Oh Sarah, love, I don't quite know why you are crying. I'm here, I've got you."

And he had.

He had got her.

The light of Sarah's lamp lit the room once more, and strong, muscled arms wrapped around her shaking body , flipping her over so that she was lying on her back.

Ensnaring her in cage that consisted of the body of the one man- thing- she feared the most.

Sarah struggled with all her might to free herself.

Eyes squeezed shut the whole time.

She wouldn't-couldn't- look into his eyes.

She kicked and scratched and wrestled until a leather-clad hand wrapped around her throat.

Her heart pounded as she felt her tormenter's lips graze her ear.

"Now Sarah, darling, I wish you wouldn't struggle so much. You're making this rather...hard for me to handle." He whispered, his velveteen voice invading her mind as the full weight of his body pressed against her.

Sarah shuddered in disgust and fear, anger rising inside of her, as a hand began to stroke her hair.

"Let go of me, Goblin King." She said, her voice cracking more than she would have liked.

"So formal, Sarah. Call me Jareth." He chuckled, hand still present on her hair.

"I said let GO!" Sarah shouted, eyes flying open to shoot the man on top of her a glare of stone.

But, of course, in her anger, Sarah had forgotten just exactly who she was dealing with.

The man, the King, the magical being, made her shouts die in her throat with one unbelievably devilish smile.

"It is good to see some passion in your eyes, my sweet." He sneered. "But it would do you good to remember that it is I who makes the decisions."

Sarah remained unmoving, as his both his hands moved to cradle her face.

"Now, perhaps you should try that again."

Taking in a deep breath in an attempt to calm her nerves, she spoke.

"Get off me-please." She spat, proud of herself for managing to maintain a more stable-sounding voice.

The Goblin King's eyes flashed with fury, before settling back into their usually unreadable selves.

"I can hardly believe how one child could be so insolent." Jareth said casually, surprising Sarah by getting swiftly up from the bed and pacing to the other side of the room.

"I'm not insolent!" Sarah exclaimed.

"And so, so defiant." Jareth went on, as though she hadn't even spoken. "But don't worry, my dear, I'll soon teach you how to behave."

Sarah stared at him, eyes as cold and unfeeling as the Goblin King himself.

"Leave, Goblin King. Or I'll scream again, and my father will come and see me."

Jareth smirked, a slow and lazy smirk that made Sarah's insides churn.

"Go ahead-scream. I can guarantee they shall not hear you." He said.

Horror pulsed through Sarah's veins, making her mind spin.

"What have you done to them? Have you...killed them?" she asked, in a small voice.

"Ever one to be dramatic, aren't you, darling." Jareth stated, rolling his eyes. "No, I simply slipped them a sleeping potion. They'll be in a deep sleep for a day or two, I would suspect."

"You can't do that!" Sarah protested. "What about me...what about Toby?"

The Goblin King's smirk grew wider, but he remained silent.

A sickening realisation crashed through Sarah like a tidal wave.

_Toby. Oh God!_

Sarah sprang from her bed and charged out of her room, skidding to a halt outside of her baby brother's door.

Praying that here hunch was wrong, Sarah flung the door open and rushed over to Toby's cot.

To her horror, she had been right.

The cot was empty.

"Oh my, sweetheart, whatever could've happened to him?" called a mocking voice from behind her.

Instantly, Sarah's fear was replaced by uncontrollable anger.

"Give him back!" she screeched, charging over to Jareth, who was leaning languidly in the doorway.

"No Sarah, you'll have to get him for yourself." He shrugged his shoulders, seemingly enjoying seeing her in distress.

"How could you even do it, anyway? I didn't wish him away." Sarah muttered, more to herself than anyone, as she began pacing around her baby brother's bedroom.

Suddenly, an arm shot out and grabbed her around the waist.

Sarah yelped in shock as she was roughly shoved up against the now closed door.

"Do you not remember, girl, how I once reordered time and turned the world upside down just for you?" he whispered, leaning down and planting a kiss on her bare neck.

Sarah nodded her head. The anger that had boiled her blood had now been replaced by an entirely new emotion- want.

"I am all powerful, Sarah. So very powerful. And you like that, don't you? Secretly, I think you crave someone to look after you. To guide you. To...control you." His lipped moved from her neck to her cheek, and she shivered.

"Give in Sarah. Give in to me, and you can have things that you never even knew you wanted. You can live a life fit for a Queen. My queen, by my side, with young Toby as heir to my throne."

It was that statement that made Sarah come to her senses.

"No, no!" she shouted, pushing away from Jareth with all her might.

"No?" Jareth spat, fire in his voice. "Fine, have it your way. You have one whole day to run my Labyrinth-to try to retrieve your brother for a second time. If you succeed, then I will let you go. But if you fail, then you will stay with me. You will remain as mine-forever."

_Forever._

That was the last word Sarah heard before her world went blank.

* * *

So, I updated like, 6 days before I said I would. I'm incredibly proud of myself :p

While I was writing this chapter, "Let's Dance" by David Bowie came on the radio. What an awesome coincedence, hey?

Thanks for all of the previous reviews, they've beem amazing. If I can get eight or more for this chapter I will have Chapter 4 posted by Thursday. Deal?

'Til next time

mysticrox123

xx


	4. Jareth: Certainty

Jareth set Sarah down on the ground, grinning down at her still form.

A part of him thought that he preferred Sarah like this: quiet and defenceless. Peaceful. Features soft and gentle, not distorted in anger, as she defied him again and again.

But a larger part of him, the more dominant part, craved the look of complete fear that he managed to evoke upon her face whenever he looked at her.

It made him feel powerful and absolute.

He loved it.

He got off on it.

He rejoiced in that fact that he could smell the fear on her whenever they were in the same room. They didn't even have to be touching, it was so strong.

It drenched her.

Consumed her, at times.

And like a predator hunting its prey, he enjoyed it immensely.

He craved it.

For if the girl did truly fear him, it would not be long before she completely succumbed to his will.

Then, from somewhere inside the Labyrinth, an unseen clock struck eleven.

Jareth's lips curled upwards in distaste- he would now have to leave his Sarah here.

Here, all alone.

By herself, and away from him.

Lying at the entrance of the Labyrinth she had once championed.

Lying in the dirt like some sort of...commoner.

Waiting to run his Labyrinth yet again.

Although this time, Jareth knew she was not running it solely for her stolen little brother.

No.

This time, she was also running it for herself.

For her freedom.

She would not win.

For this time, the Goblin King had a few tricks up his sleeve.

Tricks that would allow him to claim Sarah as his own, once and for all.

She would not become Champion of the Labyrinth a second time.

Of that he was certain.

* * *

I apologise for the delay in updating.

Nonetheless, I hope you enjoyed the chapter- I know it's short, but any chapter in Jareth's POV will rarely be very lengthly.

Thanks for all the alerts, favourites and reviews I have recieved so far. They are all very much treasured.

Can I get ten reviews for a double update next Friday?

mysticrox123


	5. Sarah: Labyrinth

Sarah awoke, dazed and disorientated, to find that she was lying on the ground.

Which she thought was odd, considering she had never rolled out of bed in her sleep before.

Her eyes opened slowly, expecting to come face to face with the side of her bed, or the legs of her bedside table.

But she didn't.

Instead, Sarah found herself to be lying on top of a soft dirt path, the darkening evening sky stretched out above her, the light blue of daytime making way to millions of glittering starts, and a huge, serene, half-moon.

Sky.

The moon.

Stars.

_Wait...what?_

Sarah jumped to her feet, eyes wide with terror when they focused on the entry to the Labyrinth she had championed all those months ago.

However, it was only when Sarah came to a conclusion about how she had gotten there, that she let her unspoken fright escape her mouth in a shrill screech.

The Goblin King.

Toby...taken again.

A second run of the Labyrinth.

Her freedom.

Her brother's freedom.

From him.

The Goblin King.

It all came back round to him in the end.

Frantically, Sarah scanned the horizon for signs of her tormenter, but she couldn't see him at all.

So this wasn't just a test- a trick to play upon her fragile nerves.

He really had taken her brother, and she really did need to run the Labyrinth in order to get him back.

Flashbacks of the night's previous events flashed through Sarah's mind like a macabre cobweb of illusions, attempting to wrench away the little sanity she now felt she had left.

She remembered the Goblin King's chilling laugh and the coldness of his body as he imprisoned her in his arms.

She remembered the horrifically wicked smile on his face when she saw that her little brother had been taken by the goblins.

And she most definitely remembered the way the Goblin King pressed against her, invading her personal space, as he told her of how he wanted her, how she belonged in the Underground with him.

As his.

In Sarah's eyes, the Goblin King had left her no choice.

She would take back her brother and defeat the Labyrinth again.

She would save herself and her brother from the clutches of the King, before it became too late.

He would not- could not- win.

Swallowing the fear that had churned itself around her insides, Sarah set off into the Labyrinth with a look of determination set hard on her face.

* * *

Sorry for the late update- I didn't have access to a computer until today.

The next chapter will be up this evening (about 6 hours time).

Reviews, as always, are much appreciated.

And a massive thank you goes out to those who have reviewed so far.

mysticrox123

xx


	6. Sarah: Running

The first thing that Sarah noticed upon her entrance to the Labyrinth was that it had changed. Not massively, but enough for her to realise so after only a few steps.

_I swear the last time I went left,_ Sarah thought to herself, as she tried in vain to remember the route in which she had taken last times she was here. So, instead of turning the way she wanted to go, she turned right, and away from her intended path, which had now become a dead end.

Still, now was hardly the time to worry about one simple turning being different, when she still had no idea of just how long she had been asleep, and, subsequently, just how much time she had left.

_Come on, you can do this._

_How hard can it be?_

Sarah had, after all, already championed the Labyrinth once. Who's to say that she couldn't do it again?

Still, the overwhelmingly long path that she was now walking down was beginning to frustrate Sarah, as she noticed that she had not made a turn for a little while.

Sarah sighed, air gushing from her mouth to illustrate her annoyance at the already confusing Labyrinth.

_If only Hoggle was here_, she thought to herself._ He would show me the way._

But, sadly for Sarah, her little friend was nowhere to be found. And the maze was so big and extravagant, that there was a possibility she might not even catch the smallest glimpse of him.

For now, it looked like Sarah would have to go it alone.

The thought of it terrified her.

The thought of being alone, that is.

She never used to mind being alone, really.

In fact, six months ago, she would have welcomed the chance to get away from her reality for a while and escape to her own little world.

To dance amongst the faeries, and traipse through the enchanted forests of her mind.

But now, the faeries had turned into manipulative, scheming fae, and the enchanted forests had traded in their bark for walls of stone.

To be alone, now, was to think.

And when Sarah thought, she couldn't bring herself to ignore the world which she had once tumbled into, completely by chance, and the world she now found herself in again.

It was all-consuming, for once one entered the Labyrinth, they could never truly forget it, because forgetting the Labyrinth meant forgetting_ him._

Which was an impossible feat, sadly, for Sarah.

Especially now that she was back here, in his Labyrinth.

His territory.

His voice would be most assuredly present in her mind until the day she died.

She couldn't quell the silent sneering, no matter how much she tried to do so.

Her conscious thoughts had been stolen from her, much like her dreams, and turned into nightmares. Turned into _him._

This was why Sarah was, in a way, running this race more for herself than her little brother.

For she believed that if she were to champion the Labyrinth not once, but twice, the Goblin King would leave her alone for good.

She would be able to reclaim her mind for good, and not live in fear anymore.

Sarah couldn't-wouldn't-let him win.

But then, from around a corner, which seemed to appear in front of Sarah's own eyes, rolled a small, transparent object that made her stomach churn.

The crystal halted to a stop by her feet, staring up at her.

It's smooth, delicate features looked decidedly out of place in an such a harsh environment.

It was easy to forget that something so beautiful could be controlled by a man so cruel.

She stood, like a rabbit caught in a car's headlights, for what felt like hours, but could have only been mere seconds.

Her mind was whirling with panic and alarm, for she knew that he must be near.

So then, without even the smallest idea of where in the world she would go, Sarah turned back on herself and ran.

She ran, oh how she ran.

Long brown hair trailing out behind her, gangly long limbs causing her to stumble over uneven stones on the floor.

She didn't quite know how she would escape a man who could transport himself to any place in this Labyrinth with a mere click of his fingers.

But she would try.

She would never stop trying.

She would run all night if she had to.

And she was more than willing to do so, had she not ran slap-bang into a tall, solid form that had just hurtled around the corner towards her.

Sarah cried out as she fell to the ground, arms wrapped protectively around her as she shook with fear, waiting for the onslaught of fury that was sure to be unleashed on her upon the hands of the Goblin King.

_I've lost, he's won._

_It's all over._

_I've failed, my God, how I've failed._

"Don't hurt me, please, don't hurt me..." Sarah mumbled into her hands, eyes still cast to the ground on which she sat.

All of a sudden, a gentle, decidedly male, lilting voice filled the air.

"It's okay, I won't harm you." The voice said, as a pale hand was extended towards her.

Taking a deep breath in, Sarah allowed her eyes to follow the sound of the voice. When she found its owner, she exhaled in relief.

A pair of warm, concerned, brown eyes met her own, so different from the ice-cold blue ones Sarah had been expecting.

The stranger smiled.

"That's better. Now, if you don't mind me asking...who the hell are you?"

* * *

And I'm back, folks, thanks for being so understanding. Also, again, a massive thanks for all the reviews I have recieved so far.

What's this, I wonder? Or, more accurately, who is this? Another runner? Is that even possible? Well, it is now.

I shan't get a chance to update before Christmas, so, to those of you who celebrate it...

Merry Christmas, my wonderful reviewers/readers. Stay safe and enjoy yourselves, I hope you have a magical time!

And Happy (insert other religious festival here) to those who don't. Have fun :)

There will be an update before New Year. Can I get eight reviews for a Jareth chapter- it is Christmas, after all ;)

Happy Holidays,

mysticrox123

xxx


	7. Jareth: Animalistic

Massive thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter!

Both Jareth and I very much appreciate it ;)

* * *

"No! No! That stupid boy!"

Jareth's shouts of frustration echoed around the walls of his castle, as he sped down the corridors towards his private quarters, knocking over several goblins who so dared to cross his path.

Slamming the door to his chambers like a moody teenager, he reached blindly for the item that was nearest to him- a glass jug full of wine- and hurled it at the wall in front of him, top lip curling up in a sadistic smile at the satisfying shattering sound it made.

He stood then, in the midst of the mess, wishing furiously that the boy he had just seen his Sarah with was that jug.

How dare that pathetic child touch her- she was his and his alone.

Jareth paced to the other side of his room, sturdy leather boots crunching soundly on the broken glass, and picked up a crystal that was sitting on his desk.

_Clever little things, magic crystals are,_ Jareth smirked to himself, as the crystal's innards transformed to give him a view of Sarah and the boy from their own crystal in the Labyrinth.

Jareth growled- a low, animalistic sound from the back of his throat- as Sarah was helped to her feet.

Not that he was threatened by this child at all.

No, he just didn't appreciate seeing someone else's hands on something that belonged to him.

Though, before Jareth could get too enraged, a timid knock sounded on the other side of the door.

"Enter." Jareth said shortly, shoving the crystal ball into the desk drawer, as a small female goblin walked through, wringing her hands together nervously.

"What do you want?" Jareth asked, narrowing his eyes at her. He really had little time to be dealing with his goblins right now, especially when his Sarah was gallivanting around his Kingdom with a young male runner.

"Rosie just wanted to tell you that the human babe is now awake. He keeps cryin' and we don't know what to do." The goblin said, her eyes cast down to the floor the whole time she was speaking to him.

Jareth sighed irritably, running one hand through his long mane of white-blond hair.

"I'll be with you in a moment." He replied, giving her no thanks, and promptly shoved her towards the door again.

The goblin curtsied, before scampering away, glad that she had not been on the receiving end of the King's well known bad temper.

Once he was alone again, Jareth made his way back to his desk and retrieved the crystal ball from the draw in which he had placed it in.

A small smile slithered its way onto his face, as Sarah appeared in front of him once more.

She was now on her feet, and looked as though she was in deep conversation with the boy. Then, with one slender hand, she gestured towards the crystal ball that was laying just metres away from them.

Jareth frowned to himself, wishing that the crystals allowed him to hear what they were saying.

Because if he would have been able to hear what they were saying, then he might have been more prepared for what happened next.

Suddenly, the boy bent down, picked up the crystal, and then, with a strength which admittedly surprised Jareth, chucked the crystal ball at the Labyrinth wall, in an action that was not to dissimilar to the one Jareth had made minutes before.

Jareth stared at the empty crystal before him, and then did something which he had never before done in his long life.

He threw his head back and hollered to the high heavens, a terrifying bestial sound that near enough shook the foundations of his castle.

_That ignorant fool,_ he seethed silently, _how dare he?_

And then, as quickly as it had come, Jareth's anger left him.

On his face appeared his trademark smirk: both a promise and threat of dark things to come.

"Oh, so they want another game to play?" Jareth whispered to himself. "Then another game they shall have."

* * *

Hope you enjoyed. I know I didn't get the amount of reviews I asked for, but I did promise an update before New Year.

So, here's the deal: it has come to my attention that this fic doesn't have an image to serve as its book cover. I was wondering if any of you guys know anyone who could draw one for me? Or you could draw one yourselves? PM me for details, please :)

Next chapter should be out in a week's time.

Hope you all have a very Happy New Year, and enjoy your New Year's Eve celebrations (it's only 2pm in England, so I've still got this evening's festivities to look forward to). Stay safe guys!

mysticrox123

xx


	8. Sarah: Alliance

"I could ask you the same thing." Sarah frowned, eyeing the boy, or rather, young man, who was crouched down in front of her.

"Ha, okay, fair enough." He laughed. "It seems introductions are in order. My name is Ezra- Ezra Moyes. Before you and I bumped into each other, I was trying to find my way out of this damn maze so that I can save my little sister, Lizzie, from the Goblin King somewhat unintentionally I wished her to."

Sarah noticed his eyes narrow for a moment when the Goblin King's name passed his lips- this boy clearly hated Jareth as much as she did.

"So, now it's your turn." Ezra said, further extending his hand towards her. Sarah tentatively reached up, and was promptly lifted to her feet when Ezra's large hand engulfed her own, much smaller one. Then, Sarah took a moment to properly survey the person who had managed to save her from the Goblin King.

And when she did, she couldn't stop the heated blush that began to creep up her neck and splay onto her cheeks, like a delicate flower coming into bloom.

This...man-Ezra, well...he was the most gorgeously handsome male that Sarah had ever seen before in her life.

His deep brown eyes promised mischief and his tousled red hair danced teasingly on the tops of his shoulders. These two things, combined with his tall, muscled from and gentle grin meant that Sarah simply couldn't look away.

She didn't realise she had been so openly staring at him until he dropped her hand from his and waved them in front of her face, a slightly concerned look etched upon his own.

"Erm, are you alright?" he asked, the sound of his voice bringing Sarah back down to earth.

Or wherever they were, considering Sarah didn't exactly count the Underground as a human realm.

"Yeah. I mean- yes, I am. Sorry, I feel a little disorientated right now." She said, fixing him with an embarrassed smile.

"I suppose we did crash into each other pretty hard." Ezra said, his slight smirk making her feel dizzy all over again.

"I'm Sarah." She said finally able to introduce herself properly.

"And why you here, Sarah?" Ezra asked.

"It's complicated." She replied, not knowing how much she should tell him.

"Just give me the short version, then." He encouraged, obviously unaware as to the fact that there wasn't really a short version.

When Sarah told him this, he sighed.

"Could you try and shorten it down? I'm kinda on a time limit right now." He said.

_Of course,_ Sarah thought, _he's only got half the time I have to run it._

"Okay. Alright, this is as basic as it gets."

And so she told him her story.

She told him all about her first run in the Labyrinth, and how she had been so shocked to believe that such a world really could exist.

She told him about Toby, Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didymus.

And then she told him about Jareth, and about how although she had already championed the Labyrinth before, she was now back again, fighting for her and her brother's freedom.

Ezra had remained quiet all throughout Sarah's story, but once she got to the part about the Goblin King visiting her in her room, he scowled.

"That's seriously messed up."

"I know." Sarah agreed, nodding her head reverently. "Which is why I need to run this thing as quickly as possible. He's given me twenty four hours- an extension on the usual amount of time, bizarrely- but I really just want to be out of here as soon as possible."

"So do I- in all honesty, this place really freaks me out. Not ten minutes ago I walked past these weird bird creatures, whose heads kept falling off. Makes me wonder what sort of creepy stuff Lizzie is having to deal with." Ezra said, fists clenching in anger.

"She'll be fine for now, trust me- they both will be." She added on an afterthought. "He won't let any arm come to them whilst they are in his Kingdom."

She reached out and laid a consoling hand on his arm, but when she tried to look into his eyes, she found that his gaze was trained somewhere else.

"What's that?" he asked, gesturing with one hand to the crystal, lying forgotten on the floor.

Sarah's stomach clenched in fear as she looked at it, but tried to keep her composure.

"That's a magic crystal. Ja-The Goblin King...he uses them to spy on people, amongst other things."

"Do you think he could be spying on us right now?" Ezra asked, sounding surprisingly calm.

"Yes." Sarah replied, keeping her answer short and sweet.

Ezra nodded and then walked towards the ball.

"W-what are you doing?" Sarah stuttered, her eyes never leaving the crystal sphere in front of her.

"Just stand back." Ezra said, avoiding her question.

Sarah scuttled to the side a couple of metres, and was extremely glad to have done so, when moments later, Ezra hurled the crystal at the stone wall of the Labyrinth.

Sarah screamed, more out of shock than fear, as tiny shards of glass rained around her, landing in puddles of glitter at her feet.

"We're gonna beat this Goblin King, Sarah." Ezra spat the other man's name from his lips, as if it had become diseased. "And we're gonna do it together. Are you with me?"

Sarah watched the determined look on his face and couldn't help but allow herself a small smile.

_We could do it. We could really do it._

She wholeheartedly believed what he was saying.

Sure, the stakes were higher this time around, and it still wouldn't be anything close to easy.

And Jareth would be pissed off when he found out that Sarah and Ezra were sticking together.

But Sarah knew that running the Labyrinth for a second time round would be more bearable if she had someone else with her, considering she was yet to find any of her friends.

"Yes. I'm with you."

* * *

Yes, that's right, people. Sarah and Ezra are out to kick some Goblin King butt :p

Anyway...hope you enjoyed!

Sorry that it's been a while, but I've had exams at school the past couple of weeks, so my attention has been focused on them. Though, by Tuesday they will be over, so you can all expect more chapters very soon.

More reviews= quicker updates.

Thanks to all those who have reviewed/favourited and alerted so far. Your support means everything to me :)

mysticrox123


	9. Sarah: Burning

"I don't know how you can be so calm."

The question came out of nowhere, disrupting the comfortable silence that Sarah and Ezra had been walking in for the past few minutes.

Sarah turned to face her companion- her newfound ally- and raised her eyebrows in questioning.

"Calm about what?" she asked, even though part of her already knew what he was going to say,

"This-this whole thing. Some magical Goblin King has stolen away your little brother, for the second time, I might add, and also, from what you've told me, said Goblin King wants to own your mind, body and soul. Yet you have been swanning down this damn never-ending corridor, looking as though you aren't bothered by any of it." He said, gesturing wildly to the stone walls around them, as if to illustrate his point.

Sarah eyed him closely and thought she could detect just a hint of admiration in his voice, as if he reckoned she was coping much better with the Labyrinth than he was.

She didn't agree with this at all, and was about to remind him of the shrieking wreck she had been when they had first bumped into each other, but then thought better of it.

It gave her a tiny bit of pleasure to know that someone as seemingly brave and perfect as Ezra saw her as some sort of warrior princess.

"I've been here before, so I'm a bit more used to the surroundings than you are. Also, mine and my brother's futures are both at stake: I want to keep a clear head, so I can try to solve the Labyrinth as quickly as possible." Sarah said, liking the wise tone that her voice had taken on.

"I guess..." Ezra's voice trailed off, and he locked eyes with Sarah once more before he spoke again. "But I sure as hell never believed this place would be real. When I wished Lizzie away- I was pissed off, y'know? I was trying to do my homework and she wanted me to play with her. She just wouldn't leave me alone. So, I snapped. I wished her away, not really believing in what I was saying. Let's be honest, nobody our age would believe in something like that, not really. But my words were real. And so is...he. It's crazy how my stupid anger could cost my sister her life in our world." He said, looking so lost in that moment, that Sarah could barely fight the urge to put her arms around him in comfort.

"I did." Sarah said softly, continuing when a puzzled look graced Ezra's face. "I believed in...him before I came here. But I never thought he, or the Labyrinth, would be like this. So cruel and unfeeling."

It was true. Before she met the King, she had never imagined him like he really was- inhumane and evil.

Instead, she had almost imagined him as one of the good guys.

A mysterious, terrifyingly handsome stranger who had come to relieve Sarah of her babysitting duties for a couple of hours.

She knew now how stupid she had been.

"Someone who steals babies and little kids away for a living was never going to be nice, Sarah." Ezra said plainly.

"Yeah, I know that now." Sarah said, looking away from him and glancing down the long corridor before them.

Only when she did so, she noticed something that had not been there before.

"Look!" she said excitedly, grabbing Ezra's arm and pointing ahead.

When Ezra saw what she was looking at, he smiled in relief: the corridor had ended. Instead of just walking forward, they now had the option of going left or right.

"Which way do you want to go?" Ezra asked, seemingly okay with either way.

"Let's try left." Sarah said, without taking the time to think it over. She couldn't explain why, it was just her gut instinct. It was as if something was pulling her towards it. Something unknown.

Upon turning left, they came up across a door in the wall.

Sarah reached to open it, but was held back by Ezra's hand on her upper arm.

"I think I should go in first." He said, by way of explaining.

Sarah shook herself free of his hold.

"What-in case I get eaten up by the big bad wolf?" she asked cynically.

Although Sarah secretly would have much preferred it if Ezra went through the door first, she didn't want him to start treating her like a pathetic little girl.

Even if she acted like one at times...

"I think we both know it's a bit late for that." He said, matching her tone perfectly. Nonetheless, he moved away from the door and bowed low at the waist in a joking gesture, seemingly trying to ease the tension.

"After you then, milady." He smiled.

"Why thank you, sir." Sarah laughed, stepping forward to turn the handle and step through the doorway.

However, what Sarah didn't know is that would regret her decision to walk through that doorway first for perhaps the rest of her entire life.

For when she saw what-or, technically who- was on the other side of the door, she screamed.

She screamed true and loud, for what felt like the thousandth time that night, but must have only been the third.

Her attempt at bravado in front of her new found male friend was long forgotten, for the sight that lay before her chilled her to the bone.

"Oh my God." Ezra said from behind her, obviously having entered through the doorway as well. "Sarah...who is that?"

But Sarah couldn't reply, for every time she opened her mouth in an attempt to answer his question, another guttural scream forced its way up through her throat.

The sight before her was so horrific.

She just couldn't stop screeching.

A pair of warm arms wrapped around Sarah from behind, trying to shield her from her pain.

It was no use.

For all the soft embraces in the world could not change what had happened.

They wouldn't stop the burning feeling coursing through her veins.

Nothing could bring back the brave, dead man in front of her, lying bloodied and beaten on the floor, glassy eyes staring blankly up into the sky.

So when Sarah finally regained her voice, she had only the strength to whisper two words that made her heart ache.

"Oh Hoggle."

* * *

So yeah: Hoggle's dead. I have no regrets- this is a horror, after all. It'll be living up to it's rating and genre from now on, methinks.

Why? How? You'll see next chapter...

Reviews=quicker updates.

Thanks for all the reviews. I read and appreaciate each one of them so much :)

mysticrox123

xx


	10. Jareth: Devious

Jareth watched the old dwarf in front of him in silence, half hidden behind a wall.

Hogwart-or was it Hoggle? - had his back to him, and was going about his day, quite unaware of his surroundings.

He looked perfectly innocent.

Still, his acclaimed innocence was not enough to deter Jareth from his plan.

He'd seen the way he had looked at Sarah.

Whether it was out of friendship- or something more- he could not be having that.

So he decided to make himself known. Striding out from his hiding place, he called out to the dwarf.

"Ah...Hogwart, what are you doing on this fine day?" Jareth called out, enjoying seeing the dwarf jump in surprise before turning to face him.

"J-just cleaning up the dead leaves from the ground." He said, gesturing to the rake in his hands, and the dead leaves on the ground.

On the inside, Hoggle was irritated, but he did dare not correct Jareth on his use of the wrong name.

"Yes, it seems that winter has found its way to us early this year." Jareth mused, pulling his cloak closer to his body in response to the chilled air.

Hoggle nodded in response, and when Jareth said no more, he began to rake the leaves again.

However, Jareth did not leave, as Hoggle expected him to. Instead, he stood there in silence, staring awkwardly off in the other direction.

"Was there something you wanted, sir?" Hoggle asked uncertainly, eager to be rid of Jareth.

Jareth smirked, before focusing his attention on the creature in front of him once more.

_So easy to manipulate._

"You know, Hogwart, I came to tell you something." Jareth said.

"And what would that be?" asked Hoggle curiously, as he set down his rake

"I can't quite remember at the moment." Jareth shrugged. "I just know it was of the upmost importance."

The dwarf frowned, but said nothing.

Jareth let them stand in silence for a minute, before exclaiming loudly in triumph.

"Ah Hogwart, I have now remembered what I want to tell you! It appears we have a new runner in the Labyrinth."

"Yes, the boy- you already told me, Your Majesty." Hoggle said, trying not to let his annoyance show.

"No, no, not the boy. Well- yes, the boy is still here. But what I meant was that we have two runners." Jareth said slowly, with a deliberate edge on his voice.

"Two runners? Is that even possible?" Hoggle enquired.

"Yes, it is very much possible." Jareth snapped, before letting his devious smile grace his face once more.

"Alright, well, thank you for notifying me." Hoggle said, before making a move to carry on with his duties.

_Oh no- we aren't done yet._

"Don't you want to know who it is? Actually-wait, there is no need to tell. I believe you and her are already well acquainted." Jareth said, his words more obviously laced with venom.

"I-I don't understand." Hoggle said, confusion clouding his features.

"My my- you don't remember? Oh dear, poor Sarah will be simply distraught to find out one of her best friends has forgotten about her." Jareth laughed wickedly, immensely enjoying the look of realisation and horror on Hoggle's face.

"Sarah...she's here? But why?" Hoggle asked, frantically looking around, as if hoping Sarah would walk by at any moment.

"To run the Labyrinth, of course." Jareth said coolly.

"She's already ran the Labyrinth- and she won! She got the babe back." Hoggle exclaimed.

"The stakes have been raised." Jareth said simply, reaching down to pick up the abandoned rake without Hoggle noticing.

"How?"

"This time she is running for her freedom, also." Jareth grinned, running a hand up and down the rake. It was strong-sturdy.

"No..." Hoggle whispered.

"Yes." Jareth said. "It was always meant to be this way."

"I won't let you." The dwarf said defiantly, large eyes blazing with anger.

"Oh Hogwart." Jareth laughed. "How are you supposed to save Sarah from the Big Bad Wolf, if you can't even save yourself?"

Then, in one swift, strong blow, Jareth brought the rake down on Hoggle, knocking him to the stone floor.

"Sarah...Sarah." The dwarf spluttered and coughed through the blood gushing from his mouth.

"Not even an angel like her could save you now." Jareth laughed.

He hit him again and again, taking delight in the blood pouring from the dwarf's head, and the cuts and scrapes emerging all over his body.

Jareth wasn't sure how much time had passed before he finally stopped.

Breathing heavily, he threw the rake down on the ground with a resounding thud, barely conscious of the warm, sticky blood coating his hands.

_Another step closer._

"Round One to me." Jareth murmured, before promptly turning around and walking back the way he had come.

* * *

Oh dear. Jareth has a plan, it seems...

I hope you enjoyed this chapter- the story is really starting to progress now.

More reviews= faster updates.

And thank you for the ongoing support. I never imagined this fic would be so successful!

mysticrox123

xx


	11. Sarah: Requiem

"No!" Sarah yelled, clawing and kicking at Ezra, whose strong arms were currently holding her back from flinging herself at Hoggle's lifeless form.

"Sarah, Sarah, just stop." Ezra pleaded desperately in her ear. "Stop and let me help you."

Sarah ignored him and carried on shrieking, in the hope that he would leave her alone. To her annoyance, he didn't, and she sank against him in defeat, shouts turning into loud sobs.

"He..he was m-my friend." She spluttered. "He helped me solve the Labyrinth in the first place..and now he's d-dead."

Ezra remained silent, and simply wiped away Sarah's tears, which were, thankfully, becoming less frequent.

"I wish I c-could have been here to help him. He must have been so afraid." She whispered, gently breaking free of Ezra's hold to stand up again.

"I know." Ezra said simply, watching a now much calmer Sarah walk over to kneel by Hoggle's body. He followed her cautiously, kneeling down beside her in front of the friend she had loved.

Upon close inspection, the smell was the first thing that hit both of them. The pungent stench of blood and flesh made Sarah's stomach churn, though she refused to comment on it.

Still, the smell was no worse than the state of the body.

It wasn't the purple, swelling bruises that littered his skin, or the garishly red blood that trickled from his head, that stood out to Sarah.

It was his eyes. His eyes, so friendly and caring in life, now represented a blank canvas, staring up at Sarah in a way which made her shudder.

Slowly, she leant forward, and pulled his eyelids downwards with her fingertips.

She barely even noticed that her hands were now covered in her friend's blood.

"We should bury him." She murmured. "He can't be left here like this- it's not right."

Next to her, Ezra could be seen softly shaking his head.

"Sarah, we don't have time. He-Jareth- could still be here. If anything, we need to get going right away."

Sarah started at the mention of the Goblin King's proper name, but couldn't bring herself to take her eyes off of her fallen friend.

"I want to do something-give him something as a goodbye gift."She insisted, frowning down at her wrists. "He likes-liked-shiny things. Especially bracelets. But I've not got anything to give him."

She closed her eyes and thought of the time in the Labyrinth when she gave Hoggle her bracelet in exchange for his help. He had been so happy.

"He can have this."

Sarah opened her eyes to find Ezra removing a silver chain necklace from under his shirt. He dropped it in her hand with a half smile.

On the end of the necklace was a small silver cross.

"You're religious?" Sarah questioned, turning to face him.

"Before I came here I went to Mass every Sunday, like the good little Catholic boy I was. But the things I've seen in these few hours- they're enough to make you stop and think about who really is in control of things. I used to think it was God. But now I'm not so sure..." he trailed off, eyeing the necklace wearily.

"Are you sure he can have it?" Sarah asked gently.

"Yeah, I'm sure." He replied.

Nodding in thanks, Sarah leant forward and placed the necklace on Hoggle's chest, right over his heart.

Then, ignoring the blood and gore and smell, Sarah bent down to place a fleeting kiss on Hoggle's cheek.

"We've done all we can for him now." Ezra said, and Sarah heard him get to his feet behind her.

"No. We haven't." Sarah said stiffly, standing, and turning to face her newfound friend with eyes full of fiery anger.

"Sarah-" Ezra started, but was quickly interrupted.

"We can avenge him. We can solve this wicked, wicked Labyrinth, save our siblings, and then defeat the Goblin King. Once and for all." She explained, her words laced with a venom that was so unlike her normal voice.

"It's going to be hard." Ezra reasoned.

"I don't care." Sarah said, speaking the truth. For once in her life, she did not sound like a defiant child.

No, she sounded more like a battle-torn warrior, ready and willing to fight for who and what she loved.

"He may have won this battle, Ezra. But I intend on winning the war."

He smiled at her, evidently noticing the change in her character. He gestured towards the door in which they had entered the room through.

"Then lead the way."

And she did.

* * *

Sorry for the late update guys, homework's been a killer. I've not had much time to write recently, so I hope this chapter didn't disappoint too much. I know it's short, but I'm planning for the next one to be a lot longer.

One reviewer pointed out that you all seem to be split on the outcome of this story- some want Jareth to win, and others are rooting for Sarah and Ezra. Well, I've actually got two endings planned, so it just depends nearer the time as to which one I decide to use ;)

Thanks for the reviews I recieved for the last chapter- I do love a good Jareth chapter. However, to the anon reviewer "a reader", if you are reading this, I would like to let you know that I deleted your review. I found it a little rude, to be honest with you. If you have a problem with my updating schedule, then I'm sorry, but I update as regularly as I can. Also, about your comment that nothing much has happened yet- the story takes places over less than 24 hours. I need to stretch it out a bit!

Mini rant over...

'Til next time, you lovely people,

mysticrox123

xx


	12. Sarah: Contrive

"So, did you have a plan, oh fearless leader?" Ezra asked, as they found themselves walking down the stone corridors of the Labyrinth once more.

"Erm...well I hadn't really though that far ahead." Sarah said slowly.

"Okay. I mean, we know how we want this thing to work out in the end. We just have to figure out a way of getting to the end first." Ezra said reasonably.

"That's true." Sarah shrugged apologetically, hiding her embarrassed blush by wiping away the remnants of her tears with her pyjama sleeve.

_Wait-what?_

Sarah glanced down at her attire, and when she did so, her blush heightened for an altogether different reason. She had been running the Labyrinth, with a completely gorgeous seventeen year old boy, in her pyjamas.

Her comfort pyjamas, nonetheless, which consisted of a baggy, long sleeved red top and a pair of long bottoms, covered in red and blue cartoon dinosaurs.

Yes, that's right- dinosaurs, for there was nothing like friendly cartoon dinosaurs to brighten your mood when you were being plagued by dreams of the Goblin King.

Not hours ago they had been Sarah's favourite pair of pyjamas, but now she wished she could throw them into the Bog of Eternal Stench.

"Hey Sarah, are you alright?" Having not realised she had stopped, Ezra had walked on ahead.

He turned around to face her and to Sarah's surprise, a huge grin lit up his face.

"I take it you just realised that you were wearing your pyjamas?" he asked teasingly.

"Yeah..." Sarah mumbled awkwardly, now unable to look him in the eye.

"Well I think they look cute." He said encouragingly.

That got her attention.

Sarah's eyes left the ground and collided with his, to find him watching her intently. He seemed to be waiting for her to say something.

_He wants you to flirt, idiot!_

_Oh._

Sarah had never flirted with a boy before. The ones at school thought she was weird, and tended to stay out of her way.

_And quite rightly so_, Sarah thought darkly, _only a weirdo like me would be able to capture the attention of a malicious, child-stealing Goblin King._

So, she didn't know how to flirt. And to be honest, she wasn't sure that she wanted to, having seen the dead body of her best friend not minutes before.

_Ah, who are you kidding, of course you want to- he's gorgeous._

She racked her brain for a witty remark, but came up short. His expectant gaze made her extremely aware of just how inexperienced she really was.

"I-um- I have a plan!" she blurted out, before mentally slapping herself round the face.

_I could have said anything-and yet I said that. I don't have a plan...I have no idea what I'm doing,_ she thought bitterly.

"Oh yeah?" Ezra said, looking disappointed that the moment had passed, but evidently keen to hear what she had to say.

Which was irritating because all she could think about was how damn sexy he looked when he chewed nervously on his lip. But she wasn't going to tell him that.

Her mind wandered once more, this time to Hoggle, and how she wished she could have got to him in time.

In time...

_That's it._

"Oh my gosh I've worked it out" she exclaimed, much to Ezra's confusion.

"Worked what out?"

"His plan, his game-ah, how could I have been so stupid?" she muttered, partially to herself.

"You aren't stupid, Sarah. A little strange, maybe, considering you're talking to yourself." Ezra piped up.

"Huh? Oh yeah, sorry." She said sheepishly. "But I think I have worked out his plan."

"I wasn't aware that he had a plan- his abduction of your brother was kinda too sudden for that, surely?" he questioned.

"No, not at all. He has a calculating mind- he plans every step. That's why he's so hard to beat, unless you can get inside his head."

"I'm all ears."

"Okay. Well, I think that he plans to kill my friends off one by one. He started with Hoggle, but Sir Didymus and Ludo could still be alive. If we can find them before he can get to them, then we will be in with a greater chance of solving the Labyrinth." She said.

A moment of silence sat between the two, as Ezra digested what she had just said to him. Sarah didn't know how long it had been before he spoke again.

"That's so freaking sick." He spat. "He shouldn't be allowed to do things like that."

"I hate to break it to you, Ezra, but he's a king. In the Underground, it means he can do as he pleases. There is virtually nobody who could stop him." She said gently, hating the truth in her words.

"That doesn't change the fact that it's inhumane." He insisted.

"But he's not human. We mustn't forget that Jareth's kind work in very different ways to us." She reasoned.

"Then what is he?"

"Huh?" Sarah's brows furrowed in confusion.

"Well he has to be something. So if he isn't human, then what is he?"

It was a reasonable question. A very reasonable question indeed. But as Sarah opened her mouth to answer, she realised that she didn't know either.

"I have no idea. I-I read a lot of faerie tales growing up, and he is nothing like the creatures in any of them." She admitted.

"So all we really know is that we're up against some psychotic, child-snatcher who can wield magic?"

"Essentially yes. I learned virtually nothing about him during my last visit. We didn't exactly have time for a nice chat or anything. Speaking of time, I doubt we have much left. We'd better get a move on." She said.

"Sarah, you've got nearly a whole day." Ezra reminded her, he himself looking as though he could do with a time extension too.

"No I haven't. We're running this together, aren't we? We'll go by your time." She smiled as a grin lit up his face.

"If you're sure."

"I am. Now, we need to get out of here. Let's carry on straight ahead." She said, leading the way down the Labyrinth once more.

"Y'know what would be really cool?" Ezra asked after a minute or two, as they made a turn to the right.

"What?"

"If we could just, like, walk through the walls. I know it sounds ridiculous- not to mention impossible. But it would make this whole thing so much easier." He said wistfully

"Who's to say you can't?"

Sarah jumped in surprise, for it was not her who had spoken. She span around, clutching Ezra's hand in fright.

But there was nobody there.

"Crap, that almost gave me a heart attack." Sarah murmured.

"Maybe we just imagined it." Ezra said uneasily.

"I don't know...two people can't imagine the same thing, can they?" she wondered.

"Anything's possible in here."

There it was again- the same voice!

"Show yourself, whoever you are." Ezra said, trying to take on a commanding tone.

"Oh dear, you humans need to learn to look beyond what you can see, and pay more attention to the stuff you can't. Look down."

In unison, Sarah and Ezra's eyes travelled down to the ground, to find a small worm looking up at them.

All the while, Sarah's hand was still clasped tightly within Ezra's. It seemed that neither of them were too eager to let go.

"You've got to be kidding me. A talking worm?" Ezra said.

They crouched down on their knees to get a better look at the tiny creature in front of them. And when they did, Sarah jolted in surprise.

"It's you!" she exclaimed.

Sarah could not believe that she had managed to come across the little worm again. In the back of her mind, she remembered the worm- the Pathfinder, that's it-helping her with something. She just couldn't remember what...

"Yes, yes, it's me." The worm said hurriedly.

"Ezra, this is the Pathfinder." Sarah said, by ways of introduction.

"Umm...hi?" Ezra said, seemingly quite confused.

The worm looked from Ezra to Sarah, eyes widening in surprise, before his face moved upwards to accommodate a mischievous grin.

"Ah, so the rumours are true. Our Lady Champion has come back, and this time, she brings with her a male human."

"Rumours? What rumours?" Sarah asked.

"My dear, you and your young man are quite the talk of the Labyrinth. Word has spread about how you have joined forces to conquer the Goblin King and reclaim your siblings." The Pathfinder explained joyfully, as though he was telling a great story.

"I bet that's made your king furious." Ezra smirked, unable to hide his pleasure at the fact that they were now well-known throughout the kingdom.

"Indeed it has, boy, indeed it has. You'd best keep up your guard in here, and run this Labyrinth using more than just your feet. You need your wits about you, and your brain." He looked pointedly at Sarah.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she squeaked. "I'm trying my hardest."

"Then you must try harder still, young lady. Surely you have not forgotten what I told you the last time we spoke?"

Closing her eyes briefly, Sarah let out a frustrated sigh.

"I've been trying to remember."She said, opening her eyes once more and glancing at Ezra. "The Pathfinder helped me somehow."

Ezra looked down at the Pathfinder once more, with a thoughtful look on his face.

"Does it have anything to do with the Labyrinth walls?" he asked.

"Yes, that's it! Thank heavens that you are a bright one, or you'd both have no luck getting out of here!"

The Pathfinder turned to Sarah once more, gazing at her expectantly.

"The walls?" She said, watching the Pathfinder nod his head. "Help with the walls...help with the walls...a shortcut- that's it!" she cried.

"Well?" the Pathfinder said impatiently.

"We can walk through the walls-literally. We just have to believe that we can do so."

"Jeez, it's about time." The Pathfinder muttered, causing Ezra to laugh.

"Hey, it's been a long time." Sarah said in her defence, although she couldn't help smiling along with them both.

"Looks like my job here is done." The Pathfinder said, satisfaction leaking into his squeaky voice. "Good luck to the both of you."

And with that, the little Pathfinder slid unceremoniously away through a small crack in between the bricks of the Labyrinth wall.

"That was so weird." Ezra said, as they stood to their feet once more.

"Ha, believe me, the old Pathfinder is probably the least weird creature down here." Sarah snorted.

It was then that she remembered their hands were still joined together. She tried to break away, but was surprised when Ezra held on tight.

"I think if we are gonna try this thing, then we should stay holding hands. Y'know, just so we definitely end up in the same place." He said, casually stroking his thumb along the back of her hand as he did so.

The simple action sent shivers through Sarah's spine, although Ezra seemed unaware of the effect he had on her.

"Umm...er- yeah, sure, of course- that's a good idea." Sarah stuttered, as they stepped towards the wall in front of them.

"So how does this work, exactly?" Ezra questioned. "Do we think of a place we want to go to? Or a person we want to find? Or will we just come out in a random place?"

"I don't really know." Sarah said truthfully. "When I did it, I came out in a random place. But I guess there would be no harm in aiming for a place or person."

"What shall we aim for then?" he said, as they took another step forward.

"Not a what- a who. We'll aim for Sir Didymus next." She said decisively.

"Okay. So, think about Sir Didymus then." Ezra said.

And so she did.

As Sarah and her companion made her way through the wall of the Labyrinth, Sarah smiled at the thought of seeing her brave friend, and knight, again.

* * *

*crawls out from under rock* Oh hey there guys. Sorry to keep your waiting. RL has been a flipping killer recently.

Still, I'm back with a new chapter. And as promised, it is quite long. I actually think it is the longest chapter I have ever written for this story.

So, what do you think? Naughty Ezra, huh? He's such a flirt, I know.

And, um, excuse me, but..95 reviews! Thank you all so much. I can practically smell 100. You're all so supportive and wonderful, it amazes me every day that people are so into this fic.

'Til next time, which won't be so long, since it's a Jareth chapter again.

mysticrox123

xx


	13. Jareth: Enchanter

Some helpful Latin vocab...

_corpus mutatio_- body change

_somnium_ _incursio_- dream invasion

* * *

Once Jareth was back in his palace, he stalked through the corridors to his private rooms, making sure to kick any goblins out of his way as he did so.

_Pesky little fools,_ he thought irritably, _they are growing in population far too much._

He played briefly with the idea of ordering a goblin cull- his father before him had done so three hundred years ago, and it did the job perfectly.

However, he soon decided against it.

For now, anyway. His blood lust had rather been quenched for a little while.

A small smirk appeared on his face as he glanced down at his body, which was covered in the dwarf's blood.

His plan was working.

As he reached his private rooms, he kicked off his boots, which were also caked in the sticky red liquid, and called out for a goblin to come and dispose of them.

"Pity, I've had them but a month." Jareth thought aloud. He made a mental note to ask for a hardier pair to be made next time.

Upon reaching his bed chamber, he strode through the door, closing it promptly to allow for a bit of privacy.

He winced momentarily when one of his feet landed on the remnants of the glass jug he had thrown against the wall not an hour ago.

Leaning against the wall with one hand for support, he picked his bloodied foot up with the other to inspect the damage.

One solitary shard of glass was poking out of his sole.

He sighed, and reached out, grasping hold of the glass, before tugging it free from his foot.

"Oh Sarah, the things I do for you." He murmured softly.

As soon as his foot was free from the glass, it healed itself. In the space of a minute, there was no evidence at all that the glass had been there in the first place, save for the pale pink line that ran defiantly from one side of his heel to the other.

_No harm done._

Still, there was the small matter of his body being covered in blood.

He would need a bath, which was a pity, considering he could think of better things to be doing whilst Sarah was in his Kingdom.

Nonetheless, he couldn't very well sit in the dwarf's blood for the remainder of the day.

It would have been... unhygienic.

Jareth stalked back towards the door to call for a goblin to run him a bath, all the while slowly getting undressed.

At same time he removed his shirt, he opened the door. Without properly looking through the doorway, he shouted his request into the corridor, expecting a goblin to come running right away.

Instead, he was met with a gravelly laugh, which sounded older than the walls of the Labyrinth itself.

"Well, sire, I had not expected to find you in such a state of undress. Would you prefer me to come back at a more convenient time?"

Jareth's head shot up in surprise, automatically tensing upon hearing an unexpected voice.

However, when his eyes rested fully on the man in front of him, his look of shock was replaced by a friendly smirk.

"Evander Manuel. Tell me, old friend, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Evander quirked his greying brow silently, seemingly displeased with Jareth's questioning.

"You seem to have forgotten, sire, that it was you who requested to see me. I received a message from one of your goblins but two days ago, saying that you were in need of some more _somnium_ _incursio_." He said.

"Ah yes. Yes, of course, I remember now. Sorry, Evander, but I've been a bit preoccupied of late." Jareth shrugged apologetically.

"Hmm, I can see that." Evander commented carefully, eyeing the bloodied shirt on the floor, which was now more red than white.

Jareth raised his eyebrows, silently daring the other man to comment on it.

"Not to worry-we all become forgetful in our old age." Evander added thoughtfully, a slightly mocking smile playing on his lips.

Jareth snorted, shaking his head in amusement.

"Don't you talk to me about old age. What are you now-nine hundred?"

"Maybe, maybe. It's hard to remember, to be honest." He made a dismissive gesture with his hand. "So, are you going to invite me in, or are we going to stand in the doorway for the remainder of my visit?"

The Goblin King resisted rolling his eyes, and pulled the door open wider.

"Come right in. We'll go into my study." He said, promptly turning round and strolling over to his wardrobe to find a clean shirt, leaving his guest to close the door.

Then, he walked into his study, with Evander at his heels.

"Take a seat." He said, all the while sitting down in his own chair, which looked much too grand to belong in a simple study.

Evander sat opposite him, and then proceeded to place a small sack on the desk, from which he pulled five small vials, each containing a healthy amount of a sticky, murky grey liquid.

"There you go, sire. This should keep you going for another two weeks or so."

Jareth looked at the vials in front of him and slowly shook his head.

"You know, Evander, I don't think I will be needing these after all." He said, placing them back in the sack.

"If you're sure?" The older man asked uncertainly.

"Quite." Jareth replied.

"Then perhaps I should excuse myself, sire. I have an appointment with the Faerie Queen in a moment- something about a beauty potion. I've told her time and time again that aging physically at her age is natural but-"

"I think there is another potion that would be more prudent in this situation, Evander." Jareth interrupted , eyes lighting up as if he had just had a revolutionary idea.

"Oh?" Evander cocked his head, looking politely interested.

"Could you send me some _corpus mutatio?_"

Suddenly, the old man shot out of his seat, one finger pointed angrily at the younger man in front of him. His wise, ancient eyes were on fire, no longer a calm and neutral shade of hazel.

"No sire, I certainly will not! You know as well as I do that the brewing of that potion is illegal- as is the buying of it, for that matter."

Jareth remained unaffected by his outburst, still lounging casually in his seat.

"Oh spare me the lecture, Evander, I full well know the consequences." He said lightly.

"Death, Jareth- it is the only consequence. I will do many things for you, sire, but dying is where I cross the line."

"You couldn't be persuaded?" Jareth asked, reaching into his desk draw for the key to his safe.

"I don't want your money." Evander spat. "You would have to-"

"Have to what?" Jareth said, his eagerness to acquire the potion becoming evident.

The older man sighed, and kneaded the sides of his head with his knuckles, as though he were in great pain.

"You would have to tell me exactly why you wanted it, and what you are planning to do with it." He started, looking at Jareth for reassurance.

Jareth raised his eyebrows, an indication for him to carry on.

"And you would have to tell me what you have been doing with all the vials of _somnium_ _incursio._" He finished, tentatively sitting back down in his seat.

"I thought we were operating on a 'don't ask don't tell' policy?" Jareth questioned.

"Yes, we were. But the game has changed, Goblin King. If I'm going to brew this potion for you, I want to know everything."

Jareth sucked in his teeth, visibly disgruntled with the potion master's conditions.

"Okay, fine. I'll keep this brief, seeing the Faerie Queen would not like to be kept waiting. Don't interrupt me whilst I'm speaking."

Evander nodded, eyes unable to hide the excitement of being let into one of the Goblin King's secrets.

"I needed the _somnium_ _incursio_ for Sarah, the last Champion of the Labyrinth. You might know her as The Girl Who Ate The Peach Who Forgot Everything. Anyway, I didn't want her to forget me, so I used the _somnium_ _incursio _to place images of myself in her subconscious mind. I've been doing so ever since she left the Labyrinth.

"However, several nights ago, I noticed something extraordinary. It appeared that I had been using the potion so much, that I was now physically able to appear in Sarah's room. She didn't notice at first- must of thought she was still dreaming.

"And thus so, I came to the realisation that your potion had created the perfect opportunity for me to claim Sarah as my own, and bring her back to my castle. Of course, I knew she wouldn't come willingly, so I decided to take her brother for the second time. I thought that I would give her something to fight for before the inevitable happened- a last inkling of hope, if you will, before she loses everything for the final time."

Jareth sat back in his chair, finished with the main part of his tale.

Evander eyed him warily, a thousand and one questions swarming through his head like a hurricane.

"What happens after she loses?" he asked hollowly, finding himself feeling sorry for the human girl. She was still practically a babe, by his standards.

"Well, I give her the _corpus mutatio_, of course." Jareth said simply.

Evander paled, his pity fledging into feelings of despair.

"Sire...no, she is just a child." He protested.

"She's nearly sixteen, plenty old enough and you know it." Jareth spat defiantly, narrowing his eyes at the man before him.

"Her body will reject the change. She has to have reached full maturity for it to work properly." Evander said slowly.

"Really, Evander?"

"Really." He took a deep breath, hating himself for selling out an innocent girl. "You would be best off waiting until she is eighteen."

"Oh, that is an inconvenience." Jareth sighed, tapping his fingers on the wooden desk. "Still, I can merely keep her confined to my room for the two years. No one need know."

Evander's stomach lurched. He had always had a distaste for the mistreatment of humans. Or of anyone in general, really. To say that he stood out in the darkness of the Goblin Kingdom would be an understatement.

"So, do I have you on board?" Jareth asked, although it was really more of a rhetorical question.

Nonetheless, Evander answered him anyway.

He felt terrible, sick to the core. Still, it made him feel worse when he thought about the things Jareth would be likely to do to him if he didn't comply.

"Yes...yes, I'll get you your potion."

"Excellent." Jareth smiled. "Take your time with it, brew it properly."

"I will do, sire." Evander said quietly, standing and moving towards the door.

"Well, you'd best be on your way then. We shall sort out payment when you deliver it to me, Evander." Jareth said.

The position's master gave a brief nod, and then was gone, almost as quickly as he had came.

Jareth sat further back in his chair, and allowed a small laugh to escape his mouth.

Oh Sarah, I've got you now, he thought. Now, I'd better go and see about that blasted fox.

* * *

Hey, all, I'm back with a new chapter.

Thanks for the reviews on the last one, they were all so lovely. We made it to over 100! Yay :)

So yeah, hope you enjoyed this one. Bet you're all curious about Evander the Enchanter and his magical potions, aren't you. Well, I'm afraid you're gonna have to stay curious for a bit longer, so have fun with that.

Now we've gotten to the important bit of the note, so PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING:

My GCSE exams start in two weeks time. Two weeks. So, I'm imposing a FF ban on myself, which means no more writing until my exams are done, which is June 14th. Please, please don't try and get me to change my mind, 'cause I am deadly serious. I want to do well in my exams, and I can't do that if I'm piddling about on FF.

The good news is that after my exams I will have a ten week holiday, in which I will write FF to my heart's content. So I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'll be back, and I hope you won't give up on this story in my absence.

Bye for now, guys. Wish me luck!

Love you all,

mysticrox123

xxx


	14. Sarah: Fruit

"Ow!" Sarah whelped, as she and Ezra were literally flung from within the Labyrinth walls onto the all-too-familiar stone pavement of the floor.

"Okay, how can it do that? Anybody would think the damn thing was alive." Ezra complained, sitting up with a puzzled frown commanding his face.

"I didn't get thrown about the last time I did it." Sarah said tentatively. "I just think it is unpredictable, you know, like a moody teenager."

Ezra smiled at the analogy as they helped each other off of the ground, before taking a proper look at their surroundings.

"So, did we get it right? Is this where your Sir Didymus lives?"

Looking around, Sarah felt her heart sink. All the hope that had built up in her chest rushed from her body in a waterfall of disappointment.

They most certainly were not at the house of her beloved Sir Didymus.

In front of them was a massive stretch of grass and trees, all so beautiful and vibrant that they looked as though they belonged in a fairy-tale.

Sometimes, although she would never admit it to herself, Sarah forgot to be horrified by the bizarre and cruel world of the Underground.

Instead, she would marvel in wonder at the amazing landscapes and creatures, and feel was though she had walked into one of her children's books.

There were times on her first journey that she felt this way, and on her second journey, she was experiencing these feelings yet again.

However, it was one particular tree in her line of sight which made her feel this way.

It was a fairly tall tree-tall enough to sit under, anyway- and it had the most fantastic twisting branches that Sarah had ever seen in her life. Pianist's fingers adorned with floating, lime green leaves.

Sarah didn't know why, but she was sure this tree was of some significance to her...

Mentally, she shook herself.

_Don't be stupid, it's just a tree. You really need to get a grip._

Slowly, Sarah came out of her daydream, to find Ezra staring calmly back at her.

_Well, at least my weird space-outs haven't frightened him off yet,_ she thought wryly.

"I'm sorry Ezra, but it didn't work." She said apologetically, even though she knew it wasn't really her fault.

"You've got nothing to be sorry for." He said reassuringly. "It was just an idea. At least we can say we tried."

Sarah nodded, allowing herself to feel partially comforted by his words.

Yes, they did try. And they would keep on trying until they won, she knew it.

"But still, this is a beautiful place." He said lightly, gesturing to all the nature settled in around them. "It's hard to believe that things like this can still exist in the shadows of such horrible constructions."

"You mean the Labyrinth?" Sarah asked.

"Yes. I hate it in there. Honestly, Sarah, I do. It just feels so strange and...foreign."

Sarah smiled shyly, raising her eyebrows.

"That's how it's supposed to feel. It isn't supposed to be normal to us. The Labyrinth works against humans like us." She said.

She didn't receive a reply. Instead, she found Ezra starting at her with an intense look on his face.

"What?" she asked hesitantly, feeling self-conscious under his gaze.

"The Labyrinth didn't work against you."

"Erm-yes it did. Otherwise, we would probably be with Sir Didymus now." Sarah frowned, wondering where he was going with this.

"No, I mean the first time. On your first run, it sounded like it worked in your favour, what with letting you travel successfully through the walls. It doesn't like me, sure. But-" he stopped, eyeing Sarah carefully.

"Go on." She said shortly, intent on knowing what he was going to say.

"It almost-well, it seems to accept you, Sarah." He said slowly.

Sarah stared at him, dumbfounded.

_How did he reach that conclusion? It wouldn't accept me- I'm not like any of the creatures down here. Hell, the closest thing to me would be...would be...him._

No. No, she was a human. Nothing like the Goblin King.

"It's just an idea." Ezra said quickly, when Sarah had not spoken for some time.

"I don't think it's very plausible." Sarah said eventually. "I mean, if the Labyrinth favoured me, then surely it would have let us travel through its walls a moment ago, regardless of whether you were with me or not."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. What would the Labyrinth want with a little human like you?" he smirked.

Sarah turned to him and frowned, causing his smile to grow even wider.

"I'm not little." She said indignantly, ignoring the fact that she had to crane her neck upwards to look at his face.

Ezra opened his mouth to reply, but before he could speak, the loud chiming of a grandfather clock sounded above them, somewhere in the distance.

Sarah jumped a little, forgetting how harsh and unforgiving the clock could sound.

They stood silently, and Sarah watched Ezra's face as he counted the chimes.

When they were finished, he turned to her and sighed.

"Another hour gone."

"How many do we have left?" she said nervously.

"Eight. So we'd probably better get a move on."

Ezra craned his neck, attempting to see what lay before them. He looked as though he was about to speak, however, he was interrupted yet again.

This time, it was by Sarah's stomach.

Sarah clutched at her stomach awkwardly, hoping to quell the loud rumbling sounds that were projecting from it.

"How long have you been hungry for?" Ezra asked, his voice mixed with amusement and concern.

"A little while." Sarah said truthfully, grimacing. "But I figured that finding Lizzie and Toby was more important than an empty stomach."

Ezra shook us head.

"Even so, I don't want you fainting on me from hunger pains. Look, there a loads of trees around here and I bet one of them is bound to be a fruit tree. We'll pick some before we carry on."

Instantly, panic flooded through Sarah's body. She remembered all too well what happened the last time she ate a piece of fruit in the Underground. And so did Ezra, because she'd told him about it.

"Ezra, wait, remember what I told you about-". But it was no use. He was already walking off ahead of her, in amongst the trees, and she had no choice but to follow him.

"Yeah, I remember what you told me." He said, as soon as she had caught up. "But you said that he sent that peach directly to you, so he'd obviously tampered with it. I figured he can't interfere with fruit still growing off a tree, can he?"

Sarah wanted to argue. She wanted to rant and rage about how the bloody Goblin King interfered with anything and everything. She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs about how he was so powerful, that even nature probably bended to his will.

But she didn't, because before them, nestled behind what appeared to be a willow, was an orange tree, laden with perfectly sized oranges.

Sarah liked oranges, she always had. They were just the right amount of sweetness, and they weren't deceiving. Their skin was orange, and their flesh was orange. Simple.

They walked up to the tree, and Sarah sat down with her back resting against the trunk, as Ezra reached up to pick a couple of the fruits.

"I can eat mine first, if you're worried." He said kindly, as he handed her one of the oranges.

But he might as well not have spoken, for as soon as Sarah's hands were wrapped around the orange, hunger overcame caution.

Hurriedly, she peeled the skin away with nimble fingers, and was left with the flesh sat in her palm.

She didn't even bother separating the segments.

"Hang on Sarah, maybe we should eat it at the same time." Ezra said, only halfway through unpeeling his own orange.

But it was too late.

As soon as he spoke, Sarah's teeth came crashing down on the orange, and the sweet juice exploded against the walls of her mouth.

She chewed hungrily, revelling in the intense flavour.

And then she swallowed.

_God, this is delicious,_ she thought.

Sarah looked sideways to tell Ezra, but when she did, she found him looking at her with a frightened expression in his eyes.

_What's wrong?_

She tried to form the words, but they wouldn't come out.

"Sarah, Sarah don't close your eyes!" she could here Ezra yelling at her, as he grabbed both of her shoulders and shook her.

Sarah tried to do what he said, she really did.

But she couldn't.

For the second time in one evening, her mind went blank, her last conscious thought being about how beautiful Ezra's eyes were.

* * *

Hey everyone. It's Saturday (in England, anyway) so here is the new chapter you were promised.

I spent much of today working on it. I forgot what it feels like to get completely consumed in writing :)

So, yeah, I hope you liked it.

The next chapter will probably be up in the next week, Friday at the latest. Also, there will be some fruit involved in the next chapter too. Fruits of the lemon variety. Maybe. Although it will probably only be dream lemons. But oh well. It all depends on reviews, I suppose. Who's up for some lemony action, then? ;)

It's so nice to be writing again :)

'Til next time,

mysticrox123

xx


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